Injured Man Utd ace Pogba replaced by Guendouzi in France squad with Arsenal midfielder thinking it was ‘a dream’
MATTEO GUENDOUZI has replaced Paul Pogba in the France squad for their upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers – but at first the Arsenal ace didn’t believe it, instead thinking it was a dream.
Manchester United meanwhile are sweating on the fitness of Pogba after he suffered an ankle injury.
The 26-year-old was seen limping away from St Mary’s following the 1-1 draw against Southampton with the problem serious enough to rule him out of France duty.
The World Cup Winner underwent scans to assess the extent of the damage this morning, which led to his compatriot earning his first call-up to Didier Deschamps’ senior squad.
The ex-Lorient youngster was already part of the France Under-21 side that featured in the European Championships in Italy this summer – but has now been upgraded.
Explaining how he found out about the call-up, Guendouzi said: “I was having an afternoon nap… In my head I was like wow, I didn’t believe it initially because 10 minutes earlier I was sleeping.
“I thought I was still in a dream…This is extraordinary.”
Pogba has now pulled out for the fixtures with Albania and Andorra on September 7 and 10, while Guendouzi has been rewarded for his stunning start to the season.
The 20-year-old was described as “magnificent” by Arsenal legend Ian Wright following his outstanding showing in the 2-2 draw with Spurs.
Guendouzi’s stunning 71st-minute pass allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to grab the equaliser after goals from Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane made it 2-0 before Alexandre Lacazette pulled one back.
Arsenal boss Unai Emery also heaped praise on the France Under-21 international after the North London derby.
The Spaniard said: “He’s very young but he’s progressing.
“He gives us a lot of control and also the combinations for us mean he’s very important in the team. He’s one of the key players to do that.
“He’s working to get a balance defensively and also working on his body to get stronger in the situations needed in the Premier League.
“Today was one step more but he’s very demanding of himself and we’re progressing with him.”
Meanwhile, it was yet to be revealed how long Pogba is set to be sidelined for, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer previously reckoning that he would have been fit enough to feature for France.
He said: “He twisted his ankle, I think, but he’ll go away and hopefully it’s not too bad and he can play for France because I know how much he loves his country and playing for them.”